The Brief

New and existing customers. The strategy was to repackage an IBM DM campaign, so it would do more, be more and achieve more. Every year IT professionals are flooded with DM. Most get thrown away. So we decided to re-frame what DM could be for IBM when reaching IT professionals.

Creative Execution

Not only was the approach innovative and industry leading, but the industry blog created online was launched with a entertaining video that took a fresh, new approach to engagement. The blog also became a place that created a two-way conversation by providing the platform for a real IT community. This greatly supported and even elevated the leading position that IBM currently enjoys.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

The IBM DM went from communicating to providing content,; from giving information to providing insight; from simply reaching a target to creating a community; from producing a database to enriching one. We created the ITer, a magazine that was first bundled to an influential magazine. It quickly gained a reputation for being a leading beacon in the industry. Then ITer went online which added a whole new dimension reaching more people, more deeply than ever before.

Results

In the end, IBM reached over 1 million top IT professionals, the opinion leaders in their field. Along the way, ITer helped IBM create buzz and gain greater influence. What's more, it's projected to boost business leads in 2011 17 times! And at the same time connected with the industry in an entirely new way that supports IBM's image as a brand innovator!